Issue No. 3, 2010
Reporter IN THIS ISSUE MPMI’s Impact Factor..............................1 MPMI Focus Issue Editorial Overview....................................1 A Letter from the President................2 Gregory Martin Named Noel T. Keen Awardee ..........................3 Meet IS-MPMI Members.......................5 Noel T. Keen Award Nomination Deadline..........................................................6 MPMI Articles from 20 Years Ago.................................................6 XV International Congress...................7
International Society for Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions
MPMI’s Impact Factor on the Rise! The 2009 Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) Impact Factors were recently released, and Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions’ (MPMI’s) one-year impact factor rose to 4.407, an increase of nearly 6.6%! According to Thomson Reuter’s Journal Citation Reports (JCR), which publishes the ISI Impact Factors, a journal’s impact factor is the average number of times its recent articles were cited in the JCR cover year. Recent articles are those published in the two years preceding the JCR cover year. Impact factors are calculated yearly for those journals that are indexed in JCR. The impact factor is useful in understanding the significance of absolute citation frequencies. A separate calculation is a journal’s five-year impact factor. MPMI’s fiveyear impact factor made an impressive increase of more than 12.5% to 4.844. Thank you to all journal authors, reviewers, and editors! Your efforts contribute to the continued success of the journal. Become a part of the success story, publish in MPMI. n
MPMI Journal Articles..............................8 Digital Version of IS-MPMI Reporter..........................................9 Employment...............................................10 Current Reviews in October MPMI..............................................................11
MPMI Focus Issue Editorial Overview: Cell Biology of Plant-Virus Interactions MPMI Senior Editors John P. Carr and Biao Ding
Open Access for MPMI Articles.....11 Welcome New Members.................12 Review of the Pseudomonas syringae Conference..............................13 Coming Events.........................................16
IS-MPMI Members Invited to Kyoto! Ko Shimamoto, chair of the Organizing Committee for the IS-MPMI 2011 XV International Congress, invites all members to attend the 2011 Congress, which will be held for the first time in East Asia. See page 7 for full details from the chair.
John Carr
Viral infection has long been a powerful experimental system for fundamental discoveries in biology, ranging from molecular mechanisms of gene expression at the cellular level to cell-to-cell communication at the organismal level. In early molecular studies on plant viral infection, the central focus was on the identification of viral factors responsible for replication, cell-to-cell and longdistance movement, elicitation of plant defense responses, and induction of symptoms. Findings from these studies laid the foundation for subsequent investigations of the host factors involved in these processes. The research discoveries themselves and the cutting-edge multidisciplinary research tools that were developed have firmly established the cell biology of plant-virus interactions as a vibrant field of current biological research. They have significantly advanced, and will continue to have an impact on, investigations of basic biological principles far beyond virology. The November 2010 MPMI Focus Issue will showcase these exciting developments with five invited reviews and nine research papers, covering replication, movement, resistance, and interviral interaction mechanisms. It is our special privilege and honor to introduce these articles below.
The ability to replicate in a host cell is central to the ability of a virus to initiate infection of the whole plant. The viral proteins Biao Ding responsible for viral genomic amplification have long been well known. To fully understand viral replication mechanisms requires knowledge of the host factors. In the issue, Ishibashi and colleagues discuss a series of host factors that function positively or negatively in viral replication, based on studies from the Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) model system. Host factors involved in the replication of other plant viral model systems have also been identified. The TMV analysis presented illustrates the MPMI Focus Issue Editorial Overview continued on page 4
Published by the International Society for Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions IS-MPMI • 3340 Pilot Knob Road • St. Paul, MN 55121 U.S.A. • Phone: +1.651.454.7250 • Fax: +1.651.454.0766 • www.ismpminet.org
IS-MPMI Reporter Editor-in-Chief: Jean-Pierre Metraux Managing Editor: Michelle Bjerkness Editor: Amanda Aranowski Design: Joel Berg The IS-MPMI Reporter is published three times per year by the International Society for Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions at 3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, MN 55121 U.S.A. Phone: +1.651.454.7250, Fax: +1.651.454.0766, E-mail: ismpmi@scisoc.org, Web: www.ismpminet.org. The IS-MPMI Reporter is distributed to all members. IS-MPMI Board of Directors President FELICE CERVONE President-Elect SOPHIEN KAMOUN Immediate Past President, ex officio FEDERICO SANCHEZ Secretary MARIA J. HARRISON Treasurer MATTEO LORITO Editor-in-Chief, Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions Gary Stacey Editor-in-Chief, IS-MPMI Reporter JEAN-PIERRE MÉTRAUX Director PETER DODDS Director JANE GLAZEBROOK Director SHENG YANG HE Director EVA KONDOROSI Staff Contact, ex officio AMY HOPE
IS-MPMI REPORTER DEADLINE The deadline for submitting items for the next issue is December 15, 2010. Share your news, accomplishments, and upcoming meeting details with your colleagues. Submit articles, announcements, and any ideas you may have for the next issue. You can send an e-mail (ismpmireportereditor@scisoc. org) or submit your item online (www.ismpminet.org/newsletter/ submissionform.asp). Send items to: Editor-in-Chief Jean-Pierre Métraux University of Fribourg Biology Dept. Rue Du Musee 10 Fribourg, 1700 Switzerland Phone: + 41 26 300 8811 E-mail: ismpmireportereditor@scisoc.org
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A Letter from the President Our society, founded 20 years ago, has continuously grown during these years, having an important impact on the scientific community. Similarly, our biannual congress, so far alternately located in Europe and North America, has become more and more attractive for scientists all over the world, with a steady increase of attendance, particularly young scientists. Next year, we will start a new tradition, with the 2011 Congress being held in Kyoto, Japan, Felice Cervone as recognition of the growing scientific contributions of our Asian colleagues to the field of plant-microbe interactions. Kyoto is a charming city full of life and tradition, with a 1,200-year history. Established as Japan’s capital and emperor’s residence from 794 until 1868, it preserves the signs of its culture as testimonials of time. Ancient temples and shrines as well as private houses make this city unique in many ways. Kyoto is a great place for dining out and also has beautiful natural surroundings where many festivals and ceremonies take place. In the past, I personally experienced the beauty of the city and its wonderful cuisine during a couple of visits. The local Organizing Committee of the XV Congress, chaired by Ko Shimamoto from the Nara Institute of Science and Technology, and composed of Tomonori Shiraishi, Okayama University; Naoto Shibuya, Meiji University; Masayoshi Kawaguchi, National Institute for Basic Biology; Shinji Tsuyumu, Shizuoka University; Tetsuro Okuno, Kyoto University; Tsutomu Kawasaki, Kinki University; Ken Shirasu, RIKEN; Tohru Teraoka, Tokio University of Agriculture; Yasuyuki Kubo, Kyoto Prefectural University; and Kazuya Akimitsu, Kagawa University, is organizing a terrific program that will highlight the latest research in pathogenic and symbiotic interactions. Eight plenary sessions will cover important topics, such as the mechanisms controlling the interactions of plants with insects, nematodes, and parasitic plants; recognition and signaling; the biology of effector proteins; and the biotechnological applications of studies in plant-microbe interactions. Twenty-one concurrent sessions will also be organized, covering important topics, such as symbiotic and saprophytic plant-bacterium interactions; plant-oomycete interactions; mycorrhizal symbiosis; plantnematode interactions; and plant-virus/viroid interactions; as well as nonhost resistance; plant responses; evolution of virulence susceptibility and resistance; role of cell wall, quorum sensing, and plant hormones in plant-microbe interactions; systems biology; and biocontrol. Speakers will represent the most prestigious scientists in the different fields of plant-microbe interactions and most of them will be chosen from the authors of the submitted abstracts. Tell your colleagues about the Kyoto Congress and, please, do not forget to renew your membership to receive benefits and reduction in the 2011 Congress registration fee. Participate and enjoy the cutting-edge science in plant-microbe interactions presented at the XV Congress in Kyoto, August 2–6, 2011. n
Gregory B. Martin Named 2010 Noel T. Keen Awardee This year, the recipient of The American Phytopathological Society’s (APS’s) Noel T. Keen Award for Research Excellence in Molecular Plant Pathology is IS-MPMI member Gregory B. Martin. This award recognizes those APS members who have made outstanding contributions and demonstrated sustained excellence and leadership in research that significantly advances Gregory B. Martin the understanding of molecular aspects of host-pathogen interactions, plant pathogens or plant-associated microbes, or molecular biology of disease development or defense mechanisms. Martin, who has worked in the field of plant-microbe interactions for more than 20 years, said that “it was a great feeling to be given an award that honors the career of Noel T. Keen. He was a visionary person in the molecular plant pathology field, and I was fortunate to have known him during the early years of my career.” He went on to express his gratitude for being honored to be in “the great company of the previous plant pathologists who’ve been given this award.” Martin, born in 1956 in Lansing, MI, received his B.S. (1979), M.S. (1984), and Ph.D. (1989) degrees from Michigan State University (MSU). Subsequently, Martin was a National Science Foundation-supported post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Plant Breeding at Cornell University (CU) (1989–1992) and an assistant professor (then associate professor) in the Department of Agronomy at Purdue University (PU) (1992–1998). In 1993, the cloning of the tomato Pto gene—the first recognitional resistance gene to be cloned—was published in Science by Martin based on his work as a postdoctoral fellow with Steven Tanksley at CU. The cloning came nine years after the cloning of the first pathogen avirulence gene by Brian Staskawicz and Keen. Notably, Keen was one of the first individuals who welcomed Martin to the field, encouraging his early work. Martin’s discovery inaugurated a new era in the study of pathosystems involving gene-for-gene interactions in which both the determinative host and pathogen proteins could be studied directly with the tools of biochemistry and structural biology. Martin explained that his research program has maintained Pto and its signaling pathway as its centerpiece and that model system has been successful in revealing a world of complex molecular interactions and new paradigms for molecular plant pathology. “A surprising discovery associated with the initial identification of Pto was that it encoded a cytoplasmic
protein kinase,” Martin stated. At Purdue, Martin and his post-doctoral associates Jian-min Zhou and Xiaoyan Tang pursued that clue and used yeast two-hybrid techniques to demonstrate that Pto physically interacts with AvrPto, the cognate avirulence (type III effector) protein produced by Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato. “By constructing mutations in Pto and avrPto and observing that loss of physical interaction between the proteins resulted in loss of defense activation, we provided a molecular explanation for gene-for-gene specificity.” In 1998, Martin joined the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research in Ithaca, NY, where he now holds a joint appointment as the Boyce Schulze Downey chair and professor in the Department of Plant Pathology and PlantMicrobe Biology at CU. Currently, Martin’s lab continues to study the molecular basis of disease resistance and susceptibility using the interaction of tomato with P. syringae pv. tomato as their model system. On the plant side, they are focusing on the identification and characterization of genes that play a key role in immunity. On the bacterial side, they are studying the mechanisms that type III effector proteins use to interfere with the plant immune response. His contributions to the field are vast. The elegance and rigor of Martin’s group helped to connect molecular plant pathology with the broader research community that is studying bacterial pathogenesis, innate immunity, and signal transduction in higher eukaryotes. Specifically, his lab has made discoveries related to the molecular basis of how plants recognize and activate defenses against bacterial pathogens and how pathogens undermine the plant immune system. “My lab has studied the roles of two host protein kinases, Pto and Fen, in order to understand how they both recognize pathogen effectors and also act with other host proteins to activate immune signaling pathways. Our related work on two type III effector proteins, AvrPto and AvrPtoB, has contributed to the current understanding of the mechanisms that bacteria use to interfere with both PAMP- and effector-triggered immunity.” Throughout his career, Martin’s research has focused on the mechanisms that bacteria use to infect plants and the mechanisms that plants have evolved to interfere with bacterial pathogens. The interaction of tomato with P. syringae pv. tomato has been the model system for this work. His research has been published in Cell, Nature, Science, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences U.S.A., and the EMBO Journal, among many other journals. Noel T. Keen Awardee continued on page 4
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power of combining biochemistry, genetics, and cellular biology to make continuing advances on mechanistic studies. Intracellular, cell-to-cell, and long-distance movement of viruses is necessary for establishing systemic infection. Two reviews are devoted to the movement mechanisms. Harries and colleagues focus on the role of the cytoskeletal elements (actin filaments and microtubules) and the cellular membrane systems for the intracellular movement of viral proteins and genomes. Benitez-Alfonso and colleagues focus on the plasmodesmal components and other host factors that interact with viral proteins for cell-to-cell and long-distance movement. Viral movement studies made seminal contributions for the discovery of intercellular macromolecular trafficking in plants. These review articles, and the research articles from Wright and coworkers on a multifunctional movement-facilitating protein from Potato mop top virus and the detailed studies of the cell biology of rhabdovirus-host interactions (see article by Min and coworkers) highlight the importance that viral movement studies have in continuing to lead the way in studies of macromolecular trafficking in plants. Plants have evolved a variety of mechanisms to ward off viral infection. Padmanabhan and Dinesh-Kumar present exciting discoveries on the role of the nucleus, chloroplast, and endoplasmic reticulum in plant innate immunity. Studies on the chloroplast-derived signaling molecules, the interplay between the chloroplast and nucleus, and the endoplasmic reticulum quality control in defense responses will not only continue to deepen our knowledge of the cellular biology of plant resistance but also will continue revealing new insights into the basic biology of plant organelles and their interactions. In the same area, Sun and colleagues describe their work on the role of thioredoxin in regulating resistance to TMV and Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), and Höller and colleagues report molecular and cellular evidence to link elevated
cysteine and glutathione metabolism with sulfur-induced resistance against TMV infection in tobacco. But perhaps the ultimate exploitation of the cell by viruses is infiltration into the genome, as carried out by pararetroviruses that can be transmitted vertically through the germ line but still retain the ability to re-emerge and cause serious disease as described by Iskra-Caruana and her colleagues. Several other research papers included in the Focus Issue will highlight research advances in various areas of the cell biology of plant-virus interactions. In particular, a number of these studies highlight the importance of cellular translation factors in determining the outcomes of many plant-virus interactions, particularly those involving potyviruses. Jenner and colleagues report that Turnip mosaic virus can use multiple alleles of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) and eIF(iso)4E encoded by multiple loci of the Brassica rapa genome to support replication. Nakahara and colleagues demonstrate that the P1 cistron of Clover yellow vein virus is involved in eIF4E-mediated recessive resistance in pea, while Hébrard and colleagues show that resistance or susceptibility of rice to Rice yellow mottle virus is determined by interactions of the VPg with the host translation factor eIF(iso)4G1. Mascia and colleagues present a molecular analysis of the interaction between CMV and Potato virus Y in mix infection in tomato, revealing distinct features from infections of other hosts, whereas Hema and colleagues demonstrate that there still remains much to learn about the packaging of viral RNA into virus particles in planta. We thank all of the authors for their outstanding contributions of review and research articles. Regardless of your specific research interests, we hope you will find the special collection of articles to be valuable resources that bring you up to date on some major progresses in the cell biology of plant-virus interactions as well as illuminate where the field is advancing in the coming years. n
Noel T. Keen Awardee continued from page 3
Over the years, Martin has been honored for his work, including the E. E. Down Award for Outstanding Plant Breeding Student (MSU, 1979), Herbert Newby McCoy Award for Outstanding Research (PU, 1997), ISI 3rd Most Highly Cited Paper in the category of Plant and Animal Science (2004), an ISI Most Highly Cited Author (Plant and Animal Science) (2004); fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (2005); Boyce Schulze Downey distinguished chair (2005); fellow, American Academy of Microbiology (2005); and Grand Marnier Foundation lecturer (Pasteur Institute, 2006). And, in 2010, Martin will be honored with the Noel T. Keen Award for Research Excellence in Molecular Plant Pathology.
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Martin is very excited about the future of molecular plant pathology and notes that he is “particularly excited about the insights that both structural biology and the study of natural variation are bringing to our understanding of plant-microbe interactions. I have a close collaboration with the x-ray crystallographer Jijie Chai (National Institute of Biological Science, Beijing) focused on structure-function aspects of the complexes of type III effector with host proteins. And I have a longstanding collaboration with Alan Collmer (Cornell) in which we are taking advantage of the genetic diversity encompassed by the 13 wild species of tomato to understand mechanisms of host immunity and how they have evolved.” n
Meet IS-MPMI Members IS-MPMI’s diverse membership spans the globe and includes professionals who have been in their field for decades, as well as those who are just starting out. To help members learn more about their colleagues, the IS-MPMI Reporter includes profiles of randomly chosen members at different career stages.
Student Member Muhammad Sohail Akram University of Punjab School of Biological Sciences Lahore, Pakistan I spent my early life in a small town located in the Punjab province of Pakistan, Gojra, where I completed Muhammad Sohail Akram high school and my bachelor’s degree. In 2004, I completed my master’s degree from the University of Punjab Department of Botany, and in July 2005, I started my Ph.D. degree under the supervision of Javed Iqbal. Iqbal’s group is working on sugarcane tissue culture, transformation, and molecular markers of sugarcane diseases (red rot, rust, smut). I am trying to improve sugarcane transformation efficiency while comparing the biolistic and agrobacterium-mediated transformation methods for this important crop. The final objective is to produce insectresistant cultivars and to use sugarcane as a bioenergy crop. In January 2010, with a fellowship from the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, I joined Zhanyuan Zhang’s group at the University of Missouri, Columbia. Zhang’s lab, one of the leading applied plant transformation labs, is trying to improve the transformation system for major crops, including maize and soybean. It was good research experience working in his group and getting international exposure in plant transformation technology. When comparing the United States and Pakistan, I would like to say, the field of crop biotechnology is still in its infancy (although progressing) in Pakistan, and there is much work and collaboration between the two countries required to bring it to a fruitful level. My eight-month stay (January to August 2010) in the United States was highly interactive scientifically as well as socially. I used to visit multicultural community programs and met with students and scientists at the University of Missouri. I also attended various seminars/symposia, including the Sixth Annual Soybean Biotechnology Symposium and the Twelfth IAPB Congress/2010 SIVB meeting. It was also at that time when I became familiar with Gary Stacey (MPMI editor-in-chief) and IS-MPMI. It did not take much time to decide to join IS-MPMI; although small, it’s one of the leading societies in plantmicrobe interaction studies. I have an interest in plantagrobacterium interaction studies and IS-MPMI is keeping me updated in this field and helping me to make new contacts in my research area. I wish IS-MPMI would start an education outreach program; one area I have much
interest in besides bench work and the big reason I have memberships with various societies. Last, I would like to thank IS-MPMI for providing this opportunity. I joined this society at the start of 2010 and this relationship I hope, although it is not too old, will be long lasting. I did not yet attend any meetings of ISMPMI but have already marked the calendar for the 2011 Congress in Japan. I hope to get funding from the society and meet you all there in the beautiful city of Kyoto.
Post-Doctoral/Early Career Member Michael Ravensdale CSIRO Plant Industry Canberra, Australia I am a post-doctoral researcher at CSIRO Plant Industry, working under the supervision of Peter Dodds and Pete Thrall. In general, we Michael Ravensdale aim to develop a comprehensive understanding of the co-evolution of host resistance and pathogen virulence in the flax/flax rust pathosystem. The interaction between flax and flax rust has been an important model system for understanding the genetic and molecular basis of host-pathogen interactions in plant diseases as well as for understanding co-evolution processes in natural disease systems. Primarily, I study how members of the AvrL567 effector protein family in flax rust interact with members of the L receptor protein family (L5, L6, and L7) in flax. However, I also study Avr evolution in flax rust isolated from natural populations of the Australian native Linum marginale. I have learned a great deal while working here at CSIRO, and I feel privileged to be part of such an outstanding group. Outside of work, I have tried to see as much of Australia as I can. As a food and beverage aficionado, many of my destinations have been the wine- and specialty-foodproducing regions of Australia. My career began in my home and native land, where I conducted my M.Sc. research in the labs of Antonet Svircev and Theo Blom at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the University of Guelph, respectively. While here, I isolated and characterized bacteriophages specific to Pectobacterium carotovorum and applied them as biological control agents of bacterial soft rot of calla lily. I started down this path after being inspired by John Sutton at the University of Guelph. He opened opportunities for me to become involved in academic research and encouraged me to pursue them as far as I Meet IS-MPMI Members continued on page 6
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Meet IS-MPMI Members continued from page 5
could. While it was long ago that I was an undergraduate in his third-year plant pathology class, I will never forget when he introduced me to Pectobacterium (in the form of a foul-smelling, soft-rotting potato) for the first time. After graduating, I went on to conduct Ph.D.-level research in the labs of Paul Birch and Ian Toth at the Scottish Crop Research Institute (SCRI) and the University of Dundee, respectively. This worked focused on characterizing a coronatine-like phytotoxin produced by P. atrosepticum. I determined that production of this toxin contributes to pathogen virulence and is regulated in a quorum sensing-dependent manner. I also identified JAZ1 as a potential target for this toxin. It was during this work that I honed my bioinformatic and molecular biological skills. I was very fortunate to work and study with the people in the Plant Pathology Programme at SCRI. I greatly enjoyed my time in Scotland, and while there I developed a taste for haggis and quality malt whisky (preferably cask strength). I have been a member of IS-MPMI since 2007, when I registered for the congress in Sorrento, Italy. I was immediately impressed with the society and the passion, ambition, and focus of its members. I also attended the congress in Quebec City in 2009, where I was able to present some of the initial results from the flax system. These meetings have been very informative and productive for me, and I look forward to attending the next meeting in Kyoto! n
Nomination Deadline Approaching for the Noel T. Keen Award for Research Excellence The American Phytopathological Society (APS) is now accepting nominations for the Noel T. Keen Award for Research Excellence in Molecular Plant Pathology. Noel T. Keen was a former board member of IS-MPMI and a prolific scholar who made many major contributions to the field of molecular plant-microbe interactions on very diverse systems. Recipients of the Noel T. Keen Award receive a certificate and a cash prize derived from a fund established through the APS Foundation. For instructions on the application process, visit www.apsnet.org/ members/awards/Pages/AwardsCallfornominations.aspx. Nominees must be APS members. Nomination packages should be submitted by November 1, 2010, as specified in the directions for consideration. Additional inquiries can be directed to Stella M. Coakley at stella.coakley@ oregonstate.edu. n
20 MPMI Articles from 20 Years Ago We asked former MPMI Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Walton to look back at what was published in MPMI during the society’s first year. Only six issues were published in 1991, and at that time, Luis Sequeira served as editor-in-chief. Here are 20 papers from 1991 that were published at a time when the field of plant-microbe interactions was in its formative years. They reflect the development of the field. In 1991, most articles published in MPMI were on bacterial and viral virulence and symbiosis factors and few were on fungi or oomyctes. The first plant resistance genes had not yet been cloned. Favored organisms were Rhizobium, Agrobacterium, Erwinia, and Pseudomonas spp. What are now known as pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins were a hot topic. Only a single paper published in MPMI in 1991 used Arabidopsis thaliana as a test organism; in this paper, Davis et al. screened 51 strains of Pseudomonas and Xanthomonas spp. (including P. syringae DC3000) with the aim of developing a model pathosystem. Below are 20 articles selected by Walton from IS-MPMI’s first year as a society in celebration of the society’s twentieth anniversary. These articles are all available via open access online. An Extracellular Glycoprotein from Phytophthora megasperma f. sp. glycinea Elicits Phytoalexin Synthesis in Cultured Parsley Cells and Protoplasts. J. E. Parker, W. Schulte, K. Hahlbrock, and D. Scheel. Pages 19-27. Cloning and Characterization of cDNA of Avirulence Gene avr9 of the Fungal Pathogen Cladosporium fulvum, Causal Agent of Tomato Leaf Mold. J. A. L. van Kan, G. F. J. M. van den Ackerveken, and P. J. G. M. de Wit. Pages 52-59. Characterization of a DNA Region Required for Production of the Phytotoxin Coronatine by Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato. S.-W. Ma, V. L. Morris, and D. A. Cuppels. Pages 69-74. Isolation of a Gene Cluster from Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria that Determines Pathogenicity and the Hypersensitive Response on Pepper and Tomato. U. Bonas, R. Schulte, S. Fenselau, G. V. Minsavage, B. J. Staskawicz, and R. E. Stall. Pages 81-88. Cloning of Genes Affecting Polygalacturonase Production in Pseudomonas solanacearum. C. Allen, Y. Huang, and L. Sequeira. Pages 147-154. Genetic Evidence that Extracellular Polysaccharide Is a Virulence Factor of Pseudomonas solanacearum. T. P. Denny and S.-R. Baek. Pages 198-206. Current Review: Infectious and Genetic Manifestations of Prion Diseases. S. B. Prusiner and D. Westaway. Pages 226-233.
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Sense and Antisense RNA-Mediated Resistance to Potato Leafroll Virus in Russet Burbank Potato Plants. L. M. Kawchuk, R. R. Martin, and J. McPherson. Pages 247-253. Molecular Cloning and Detection of Chromosomal and Extrachromosomal DNA of Mycoplasmalike Organisms Associated with Witches’-Broom Disease of Pigeon Pea in Florida. N. A. Harrison, J. H. Tsai, C. M. Bourne, and P. A. Richardson. Pages 300-307. A Lipopolysaccharide Mutant of Bradyrhizobium japonicum that Uncouples Plant from Bacterial Differentiation. G. Stacey, J.-S. So, L. E. Roth, B. Lakshmi S. K., and R. W. Carlson. Pages 332-340. Diverse Signal Sensitivity of NodD Protein Homologs from Narrow and Broad Host Range Rhizobia. Z. Györgypal, E. Kondorosi, and A. Kondorosi. Pages 356-364. At Least Six Avirulence Genes Are Clustered on a 90-Kilobase Plasmid in Xanthomonas campestris pv. malvacearum. R. De Feyter and D. W. Gabriel. Pages 423-432. Nodulin Regulation in Common Bean Nodules Induced by Bacterial Mutants. J. E. Padilla, J. Miranda, and F. Sánchez. Pages 433-439. Cloning of a Melanin Biosynthetic Gene Essential for Appressorial Penetration of Colletotrichum lagenarium. Y. Kubo, H. Nakamura, K. Kobayashi, T. Okuno, and I. Furusawa. Pages 440-445. Tobacco Mosaic Virus Elicitor Coat Protein Genes Produce a Hypersensitive Phenotype in Transgenic Nicotiana sylvestris Plants. J. N. Culver and W. O. Dawson. Pages 458-463. In situ Localization of Rhizobium mRNAs in Pea Root Nodules: nifA and nifH Localization. W.-C. Yang, B. Horvath, J. Hontelez, A. Van Kammen, and T. Bisseling. Pages 464-468. Virulence of Selected Phytopathogenic Pseudomonads in Arabidopsis thaliana. K. R. Davis, E. Schott, and F. M. Ausubel. Pages 477-488.
XV International Congress on MPMI Dear IS-MPMI Members, I would like to invite all of the members of IS-MPMI to Kyoto next year. We have established the Organizing Committee for the next congress to be held in Kyoto, Japan, August 2–6, 2011. This will be the first IS-MPMI Congress held in East Asia. We will keep the tradition of having the most-updated, top science in the field of molecular plantmicrobe interactions. We are now planning sessions and speakers for various scientific sessions. The website, http://mpmi2011.umin.jp, will be open in October 2010. Registration and abstract submission will start in early January 2011. We will post new information on the conference, such as confirmed speakers and planned sessions, as soon as they are decided. Venue: Kyoto International Conference Center (ICC Kyoto) Preliminary Program: We will have eight plenary sessions and 21 concurrent sessions August 2: Registration and opening ceremony, opening lecture by Shizuo Akira of Osaka University on TLR, and the award lecture followed by a reception August 3–4: Plenary sessions in the morning, concurrent sessions in the afternoon, and a poster session in the evening August 5: Plenary sessions in the morning, concurrent sessions in the afternoon, and excursion August 6: Concurrent sessions in the morning and plenary sessions in the afternoon, followed by the closing ceremony and congress dinner I look forward to seeing you all in Kyoto next year! Ko Shimamoto Chair, Organizing Committee for the 2011 IS-MPMI Congress in Kyoto mpmikyoto2011@bs.naist.jp n
The Movement of Viral-Like RNA Between Colonies of Cryphonectria parasitica. R. M. Martin and N. K. Van Alfen. Pages 507-511. Host-Pathogen Interactions XXXIX: A Soybean Pathogenesis-Related Protein with β-1,3-Glucanase Activity Releases Phytoalexin Elicitor-Active HeatStable Fragments from Fungal Walls. K.-S. Ham, S. Kauffmann, P. Albersheim, and A. G. Darvill. Pages 545-552. Transformation of the Oomycete Pathogen, Phytophthora infestans. H. S. Judelson, B. M. Tyler, and R. W. Michelmore. Pages 602-607. n
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Recently published research in Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions Find complete abstracts online with links to full-text articles at http://apsjournals.apsnet.org/loi/mpmi July 2010, Volume 23, Number 7 Disruption of Two Defensive Signaling Pathways by a Viral RNA Silencing Suppressor.
August 2010, Volume 23, Number 8 TECHNICAL ADVANCE—Methods to Study PAMP-Triggered Immunity Using Tomato and Nicotiana benthamiana.
Nitric Oxide Participates in the Complex Interplay of Defense-Related Signaling Pathways Controlling Disease Resistance to Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in Arabidopsis thaliana.
Phytoalexin Accumulation in the Interaction Between Rice and the Blast Fungus.
Involvement of Salicylate and Jasmonate Signaling Pathways in Arabidopsis Interaction with Fusarium graminearum. ClpXP Protease Regulates the Type III Secretion System of Dickeya dadantii 3937 and Is Essential for the Bacterial Virulence. The Hemibiotroph Colletotrichum graminicola Locally Induces Photosynthetically Active Green Islands but Globally Accelerates Senescence on Aging Maize Leaves. Mutagenesis of 18 Type III Effectors Reveals Virulence Function of XopZPXO99 in Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae.
PsSAK1, a Stress-Activated MAP Kinase of Phytophthora sojae, Is Required for Zoospore Viability and Infection of Soybean. Silencing of WIPK and SIPK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases Reduces Tobacco mosaic virus Accumulation But Permits Systemic Viral Movement in Tobacco Possessing the N Resistance Gene. A cbb3-Type Cytochrome C Oxidase Contributes to Ralstonia solanacearum R3bv2 Growth in Microaerobic Environments and to Bacterial Wilt Disease Development in Tomato.
A Unique Glycine-Rich Motif at the N-terminal Region of Bamboo mosaic virus Coat Protein Is Required for Symptom Expression.
The Basic Leucine Zipper Transcription Factor Moatf1 Mediates Oxidative Stress Responses and Is Necessary for Full Virulence of the Rice Blast Fungus Magnaporthe oryzae.
Expression Pattern Suggests a Role of MiR399 in the Regulation of the Cellular Response to Local Pi Increase During Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbiosis.
Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria Effector AvrBsT Induces Cell Death in Pepper, but Suppresses Defense Responses in Tomato.
Pseudomonas syringae Two-Component Response Regulator RhpR Regulates Promoters Carrying an Inverted Repeat Element.
A Partial Chromosomal Deletion Caused by Random Plasmid Integration Resulted in a Reduced Virulence Phenotype in Fusarium graminearum.
Effector-Triggered and Pathogen-Associated Molecular Pattern–Triggered Immunity Differentially Contribute to Basal Resistance to Pseudomonas syringae.
Choline and Osmotic-Stress Tolerance Induced in Arabidopsis by the Soil Microbe Bacillus subtilis (GB03).
Combination of Fluorescent Reporters for Simultaneous Monitoring of Root Colonization and Antifungal Gene Expression by a Biocontrol Pseudomonad on Cereals with Flow Cytometry.
September 2010, Volume 23, Number 9 Host and Nonhost Resistance in Medicago– Colletotrichum Interactions.
Transcriptome Analysis of the Barley–Deoxynivalenol Interaction: Evidence for a Role of Glutathione in Deoxynivalenol Detoxification. Validation of a Candidate Deoxynivalenol-Inactivating UDP-Glucosyltransferase from Barley by Heterologous Expression in Yeast.
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b-Aminobutyric Acid Primes an NADPH Oxidase– Dependent Reactive Oxygen Species Production During Grapevine-Triggered Immunity.
IS-MPMI Reporter
The Ustilago maydis Forkhead Transcription Factor Fox1 Is Involved in the Regulation of Genes Required for the Attenuation of Plant Defenses During Pathogenic Development. Age-Related Resistance of Nicotiana benthamiana Against Hemibiotrophic Pathogen Phytophthora infestans Requires Both Ethylene- and Salicylic Acid– Mediated Signaling Pathways.
RBOHF2 of Barley Is Required for Normal Development of Penetration Resistance to the Parasitic Fungus Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei.
Pathogenicity in the Rice Blast Fungus Magnaporthe oryzae.
Methyl Esterase 1 (StMES1) Is Required for Systemic Acquired Resistance in Potato.
Laser Capture Microdissection of Uredinia Formed by Melampsora larici-populina Revealed a Transcriptional Switch Between Biotrophy and Sporulation.
Rhodococcus fascians Impacts Plant Development Through the Dynamic Fas-Mediated Production of a Cytokinin Mix.
Pseudomonas syringae Virulence Factor Syringolin A Counteracts Stomatal Immunity by Proteasome Inhibition.
Transcription of Two Blue Copper-Binding Protein Isogenes Is Highly Correlated with Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Development in Medicago truncatula.
Confocal Imaging of Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola Colony Development in Bean Reveals Reduced Multiplication of Strains Containing the Genomic Island PPHGI-1.
Effects of galU Mutation on Pseudomonas syringae– Plant Interactions. A Competitive Index Assay Identifies Several Ralstonia solanacearum Type III Effector Mutant Strains with Reduced Fitness in Host Plants. Diversity, Distribution, and Evolution of Solanum bulbocastanum Late Blight Resistance Genes. BAX INHIBITOR-1 Is Required for Full Susceptibility of Barley to Powdery Mildew. October 2010, Volume 23, Number 10 CURRENT REVIEW—Varied Movement Strategies Employed by Triple Gene Block–Encoding Viruses. CURRENT REVIEW—Antiviral Role of Plant-Encoded RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerases Revisited with Deep Sequencing of Small Interfering RNAs of Virus Origin. CURRENT REVIEW—Getting the Most from the Host: How Pathogens Force Plants to Cooperate in Disease.
The Arabidopsis Downy Mildew Resistance Gene RPP8 Is Induced by Pathogens and Salicylic Acid and Is Regulated by W Box cis Elements. Regulation of Motility in Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora: Quorum-Sensing Signal Controls FlhDC, the Global Regulator of Flagellar and Exoprotein Genes, by Modulating the Production of RsmA, an RNA-Binding Protein. Disruption of the Bcchs3a Chitin Synthase Gene in Botrytis cinerea Is Responsible for Altered Adhesion and Overstimulation of Host Plant Immunity. Gluconate Metabolism Is Required for Virulence of the Soft-Rot Pathogen Pectobacterium carotovorum. Regulatory Mechanisms of Exoribonuclease PNPase and Regulatory Small RNA on T3SS of Dickeya dadantii. Role of Cyclic di-GMP in Xylella fastidiosa Biofilm Formation, Plant Virulence, and Insect Transmission. n
Characterization of MoLDB1 Required for Vegetative Growth, Infection-Related Morphogenesis, and
Digital Version of the IS-MPMI Reporter Now Available! Did you know that archived issues of the IS-MPMI Reporter can be accessed from 1993? Beginning with the No. 2 (June) 2010 issue, the Reporter has now been digitally enhanced for greater readability and searchability. In addition, the new page-reading tool allows users to conduct a keyword search of the entire issue. Flip page by page to read the full-color online issue with ease! As always, the table of contents for each issue will be available with an option to download a standard PDF for printing. Read the latest issue online at www.ismpminet.org/newsletter/October2010.asp. n
International Society for Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions
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Employment Faculty Position with the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research at Cornell University The Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI), an independent not-for-profit research institute affiliated with Cornell University (CU), invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position at the assistant level. We seek candidates whose research addresses fundamental questions in plant biology and is synergistic with current research at BTI and CU. Particular areas of interest include, but are not limited to, structural biology, plant biochemistry, evolutionary genomics, and plant-microbe symbioses. BTI is located on the CU campus in Ithaca, a culturally diverse and vibrant town in the Finger Lakes region of New York. Our faculty members have access to state-of-the-art mass spectrometry, cell imaging, and plant growth facilities at BTI (http://bti. cornell.edu), as well as extensive life sciences facilities through the CU Life Sciences Core Laboratories Center (www.brc.cornell.edu). The successful candidate is expected to establish an outstanding extramurally funded research program and is encouraged to develop links to relevant departments at CU. Review of applications will begin November 1, 2010. BTI is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer and is committed to increasing the diversity of its faculty and staff. Applications from women and minorities are encouraged. Applicants should submit a cover letter, detailed curriculum vitae, the names of three references, and a statement of research interests (two to three pages) to Maria J. Harrison, chair, BTI Faculty Search Committee, Boyce Thompson Institute, Tower Road, Ithaca, NY 14853 U.S.A. E-mail: BTI_Faculty_ Search@cornell.edu; Web: http://bti.cornell.edu. Post-Doctoral Scientist Interested in Plant Ionomics We are currently looking for a highly motivated, postdoctoral scientist to join our research on ionomics of mycorrhizal plants. Ionomics requires the application of elemental analysis technologies (e.g., ICP-MS) and their integration with both bioinformatic and genetic tools. The ideal candidate is interested in working on an international research team on fundamental biological processes in plant membrane transport-root symbiosis and has experience in ICP-MS and ideally plant genetics and plant molecular physiology (e.g., Rausch et al., Nature, 2001; Nagy et al., Plant J., 2005; Drissner et al., Science, 2007). Our research group is well equipped with state-of-the-art ICP-MS technology (Agilent 7700 Series) and further MS equipment (ESI-MS Applied Biosystems, and micrOTOF-Q, Bruker [in planning]). The position is available immediately and the initial contract is for two years with optional extension and the possibility to develop to a junior group leader position. Salary: according TV-L E13. As the position is part of the “BioEnergy2021” program of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the project offers an excellent scientific environment for successful research, networking, and career development. The laboratory is located in the Cologne Biocenter, a newly established integrative research and teaching facility for biological sciences at the University of Cologne. Please
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send a letter of application outlining research experience and interests, curriculum vitae, publication list, transcripts, and letters of recommendation preferably by e-mail to nina.zellerhoff@uni-koeln.de or through the mail to Marcel Bucher. Contact: Marcel Bucher, Cologne Biocenter, University of Cologne, Zülpicherstrasse 47b, D-50647 Cologne, Germany. E-mail: nina.zellerhoff@uni-koeln.de; Web: www.bucherlab.uni-koeln.de; www.fzjuelich.de/ptj/ bioenergie2021. Plant Pathology Department Chair, The Ohio State University Applications are invited for the position of chair of the Department of Plant Pathology at The Ohio State University (OSU). The department consists of faculty, post-docs, students, and staff based on the OSU main campus in Columbus and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) campus in Wooster. The position will be based on the Columbus campus. The chair, who reports to the vice president and executive dean of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, administratively leads a departmental program of research, teaching, extension, and international development. The chair fosters effective, collegial, cooperative, and productive relationships among students, staff, and faculty; works with other chairs and administrators to advance the vision and missions of the department; and promotes the department with state, national, and international organizations. The chair oversees the annual salary-adjustment process, performs annual reviews of faculty and senior staff, and provides leadership for professional development. The chair further provides administrative leadership, oversight, and maintenance of department financial and operational processing. Candidates must hold an earned doctorate in plant pathology or related field, be eligible for appointment as a tenured full professor, have the ability to administer and manage the fiscal and human resources in an academic department, and have demonstrated leadership qualities. The successful candidate will have a distinguished record of research, teaching, and/ or extension, as well as a demonstrated ability to successfully develop external financial support. Salary: Commensurate with qualifications and experience. Review of applications will begin September 1, 2010, and continue until a qualified candidate is identified. OSU is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Qualified persons are requested to submit a letter of application; a statement of the applicant’s vision and administrative philosophy, as well as a summary of leadership experiences and qualifications; and a complete CV, including names, addresses, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses of four references. Submit application materials to Larry Madden. Contact: Larry Madden, Search Committee Chair, Department of Plant Pathology, 201 Kottman Hall, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210 U.S.A. Phone: +1.330.263.3839; E-mail: madden.1@osu.edu; Web: http://plantpath.osu.edu. n
Don’t Miss These Current Reviews in the October Issue of MPMI Read these Current Review articles in the October issue of MPMI. Impact of RDR1 and RDR6 in Defense Against Viruses Is Summarized In this review article, Feng Qu examines findings from the recent literature that support an active role for RDR1 and RDR6 in antiviral defense against a number of viruses, including Tobacco mosaic virus, Cucumber mosaic virus, and Turnip mosaic potyvirus. These studies established that RDR1 and RDR6 function synergistically to contain RNA virus infections through the RNA silencingbased antiviral defense. Read “Antiviral Role of PlantEncoded RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerases Revisited with Deep Sequencing of Small Interfering RNAs of Virus Origin” and find out where Qu sees the research going from here. http://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/abs/10.1094/ MPMI-06-10-0124 Verchot-Lubicz et al. Look at Triple Gene Block– Encoding Viruses
This review article explains varied movement strategies employed by triple gene block (TGB)–encoding viruses. The authors highlight common features of the TGB proteins and salient differences in movement
properties exhibited by individual viruses encoding these proteins. They discuss common and divergent aspects of the TGB transport machinery, describe putative nucleoprotein movement complexes, highlight recent data on TGB protein interactions and topological properties, and review membrane associations occurring during subcellular targeting and cell-to-cell movement. They conclude that the existing models cannot be used to explain all TGB viruses and propose provisional Potexvirus, Hordeivirus, and Pomovirus models. They also suggest areas that might profit from future research on viruses harboring this intriguing arrangement of movement proteins. http://apsjournals. apsnet.org/doi/abs/10.1094/MPMI-04-10-0086 INRA Scientists Examine How Pathogens Force Plants to Cooperate in Disease
This review article addresses plant susceptibility and highlights a number of host processes that have been shown to be induced or subverted to facilitate infection. In particular, Hok et al. focus on those processes that appear to be manipulated by filamentous fungal and oomycete pathogens. An understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying successful infection should make it possible to develop new crop protection strategies based on interference with compatibility to prevent disease. http://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/ abs/10.1094/MPMI-04-10-0103 n
Immediate Open Access for MPMI Articles Did you know that you can purchase open-access rights when you publish in MPMI? This optional feature makes your research in MPMI available to the world immediately upon publication. Check out these immediate open-access papers now online.
August • Phytoalexin Accumulation in the Interaction Between Rice and the Blast Fungus (http://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/abs/10.1094/MPMI23-8-1000)
July • A Unique Glycine-Rich Motif at the N-terminal Region of Bamboo mosaic virus Coat Protein Is Required for Symptom Expression (http://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/abs/10.1094/MPMI23-7-0903) • Expression Pattern Suggests a Role of MiR399 in the Regulation of the Cellular Response to Local Pi Increase During Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbiosis (http://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/abs/10.1094/MPMI23-7-0915) • Validation of a Candidate Deoxynivalenol-Inactivating UDP-Glucosyltransferase from Barley by Heterologous Expression in Yeast (http://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/abs/10.1094/MPMI23-7-0977)
September • Diversity, Distribution, and Evolution of Solanum bulbocastanum Late Blight Resistance Genes (http://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/abs/10.1094/MPMI23-9-1206) November • Intracellular Transport of Viruses and Their Components: Utilizing the Cytoskeleton and Membrane Highways (http://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/abs/10.1094/MPMI05-10-0121) • Enhanced Glutathione Metabolism Is Correlated with Sulfur-Induced Resistance in Tobacco mosaic virus– Infected Genetically Susceptible Nicotiana tabacum Plants (http://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/abs/10.1094/MPMI05-10-0117) n
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Welcome New Members The following members joined IS-MPMI between May 1 and August 31, 2010. Please join us in welcoming them to the society! Janice De Almeida-Engler INRA Sophia Antipolis, France
Sandra Marisa Mathioni Univ of Delaware Newark, DE, U.S.A.
Martin Welch Cambridge Univ Cambridge, United Kingdom
Madhavi Dere Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA, U.S.A.
Dzarifah Mohamed Zulperi Penn State Univ State College, PA, U.S.A.
Simon J. Williams Univ of Queensland Brisbane, QLD, Australia
Anne Genissel INRA Castanet Tolosan, France
Bin Tian Penn State Univ State College, PA, U.S.A.
Richard A. Wilson Univ of Nebraska Lincoln, NE, U.S.A.
Kappei Kobayashi Iwate Biotechnology Research Center Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan
Hiroshi Uchiyama Nihon Univ Fujisawa, Japan
Bing Yang Iowa State Univ Ames, IA, U.S.A.
Celebrating a Milestone For 20 years, IS-MPMI has been bringing people together through the sharing of research and new ideas. As our community continues to grow, please invite your colleagues to become part of IS-MPMI and experience the premier science and connections to scientists worldwide. Tell your colleagues to visit www.ismpminet.org/members/ join.asp to learn more about the benefits of membership and download an application.
Here’s to another successful 20 years and more! Thank you for your continued support.
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IS-MPMI Reporter
A Review of the 8th International Conference on Pseudomonas syringae Pathovars and Related Pathogens Robert Jackson (r.w.jackson@reading.ac.uk), Gail Preston (gail.preston@plant-sciences.ox.ac.uk), and Dawn Arnold (dawn.arnold@uwe.ac.uk) The 8th International bacterial colonization of Conference on leaf surfaces, specifically Pseudomonas syringae focusing on the Pathovars and Related contribution of the type Pathogens was recently III secretion system to held in Oxford between the process. August 31 and September 3. More than 140 delegates After the first poster Lineup of delegates at Trinity College. from 25 countries and session and a buffet four continents attended dinner, a genomics the conference. This conference has traditionally been session was organized by Magdalen Lindeberg. Fuelled held in Europe, and this was the first occasion for the by beer and wine, the session was informal and there United Kingdom to host it—so the challenge was on to were discussions of various challenges thrown up by nextmake the conference as successful as previous occasions. generation sequencing and data management. Top marks Talks and posters were held in the Department of Physics go to David Baltrus for his talk, entitled “Feasting on Conference Centre, with accommodations and meals draft genomes: Finish what you can and microwave the provided at Trinity College. After an opening lecture by leftovers,” telling us some of his lessons learned along the Gail Preston on the scientific and educational history of way when working with multiple draft genome sequences. Oxford, delegates enjoyed a wine and Bryan Swingle introduced a fantastic canapé reception in the University Natural new methodology for introducing point History Museum—overlooked by the mutations and doing gene deletions in resident Tyrannosaurus rex and other Pseudomonas (and other) bacteria using dangerous diploid exhibits. simple oligonucleotides—this could be a pivotal advance for genetic engineering, Three full days of talks were scheduled or recombineering, plant pathogens. At 10 and the quality of talks was superb across p.m., delegates retired to the beer cellar the board. Day one focused on effector at Trinity College for challenges in table function and pathogenesis and plant football—a prelude to the real thing the responses, with a genomics workshop following day. in the evening. Alan Collmer kicked off with an excellent overview of P. David Guttman started off the next syringae effector biology, followed by an morning with a lively presentation. He Alan Collmer (team DC3000) takes on elegant disassembly and reassembly of P. proved himself to be a future king of the Matteo Cerboneschi (team 1448A). syringae pv. tomato strains with various PAMP world with his elegant evolutionary combinations of effectors. In this way, his analysis to identify novel PAMPs on lab has been able to dissect the precise a whole cell level—this was done by phenotypic and functional roles of a genomic analysis of amino acid signatures number of effectors, and this approach to identify peptides under negative promises much for further insight to the selection and then testing these peptides individual effector contributions. Collmer in various plant species to prove they received a gift and a diploma from the triggered basal defenses. Carolee Bull society in recognition of his illustrious took the mantle on continuing the famous and continuing distinctions in P. syringae Norm Schaad-John Young diagnostics research. This was followed by an and systematics “duel.” Besides telling us enlightening talk by Darrell Desveaux, some smokin’ research on Pseudomonas who has discovered that effector HopZ1a cannabina, her flamboyant and targets microtubule networks; Desveaux humorous talk raised contentious issues actually used human cell lines to uncover on how bacteria should be classified— George Sundin and John Mansfield the initial phenotype and translated this certainly it should keep us talking about (team 1448A) with their effector. to the plant system. In the afternoon it until the next meeting! George Sundin session, Greg Martin provided an update on AvrPto maintained the momentum with an informative, humorous and AvrPtoB research and highlighted the discovery update on P. syringae plasmid research. In the afternoon, of ubiquitin ligase type III effectors in Escherichia coli nine Ph.D. students competed for a Society for General O157. Meanwhile, Jean Greenberg has been examining
8th International Pseudomonas syringae Conference continued on page 14
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8th International Pseudomonas syringae Conference continued from page 13
Microbiology prize for the best oral presentation; despite very high-quality and split judgments between three candidates, Karl Schreiber from the University of Toronto was judged to have given the best talk.
Hwang, Vittoria Catara, Lisa Schechter, and Stefania Tegli all provided interesting talks on quorum sensing and regulatory mechanisms in plant pathogens, an area that is relatively understudied.
The conference delegates then retired to the University Club for a football (soccer) match. Delegates received a dark blue T-shirt (for team DC3000) or white T-shirt (for team 1448A), and the battle of the syringaes commenced. Despite the colossal presence of Collmer, Jim Alfano, Murray Grant, and Ian Toth representing team DC3000, the team 1448A minnows led by John Mansfield proved that having less effectors counts for nothing when on the football pitch!
On the final night, Mansfield gave an expert overview of how the field has moved forward and how we really need to consider how we can apply our research to the control of bacterial diseases in the field. A short celebration of Mansfield’s achievements in the field and his continuing support despite recent retirement were marked by the award of a pair of silver-plated spoons and a diploma. A banquet in Trinity College followed, with excellent food, lashings of wine, and much merriment that continued on into the wee hours. The conference prizes were given out for best student talk (Schreiber) and best poster, which was awarded to Valerie Nicaise of The Sainsbury Laboratory. This prize was contributed by IS-MPMI and we are grateful for the society’s support. We also wish to thank the delegates for their attendance and making the conference so stimulating and enjoyable. Additional photos of the conference can be found online at http:// pseudomonas-syringae.org.
Stiff and sore the next day, the final day of talks was kicked off by Boris Vinatzer, who has done a wonderful population genetic analysis of global P. syringae pv. tomato strains, showing how different phylogenetic lineages have risen and fallen over time. Francisco Cazorla provided a nice insight to the molecular basis of mangotoxin production, and Cayo Ramos gave a particularly elegant talk on functional genomics of the olive pathogen P. savastanoi pv. savastanoi, with very nice imaging analysis of bacterial growth within olive knots. Melanie Filiatrault also showed how RNA sequencing (transcriptomics using next-generation sequencing) is the way forward not only for examining gene expression but also for identifying noncoding small RNAs. Other notable talks in the conference were those of Robert Dudler and Renier van der Hoorn showing how syringolin A targets the host proteasome for overcoming plant defense and nicely illustrating how this can complement type III secretion in virulence. Ingyu
Of course, we look forward to the next meeting. With talks and chairing from Carmen Beuzon, Emilia Lopez Solanilla, Pablo Rodriguez Palenzuela, Leire Bardaji, Jose Gutierrez-Barranquer, Alberto Macho, Cazorla, Ramos, and Jesus Murillo (and not forgetting Antonio de Vicente, who was chief wine taster), it becomes clear who should host the next meeting—indeed, it’s the World Cup champions, Spain. Dust off your sunnies and shorts and keep time in your diary for 2014—Malaga here we come! Accompanying photos are courtesy of Glyn Barrett. n
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IS-MPMI Reporter
XV Congress on Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions August 2–6, 2011 • Kyoto, Japan
✔ See renowned speakers from around the world ✔ Make personal connections with other scientists in your area of interest
✔ Present your research and make an impact Just Announced!
Dr. Shizuo Akira of Osaka University will present the opening lecture, entitled “Toll-Like Receptors in Innate Immunity.”
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COMING EVENTS November 7–12, 2010 SixthInternationalGeminivirusSymposium Guanajuat, Gto., Mexico
August 2–6, 2011 XV International Congress on MPMI Kyoto, Japan
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December 7–9, 2010 2010 National Fusarium Head Blight Forum Milwaukee, WI, U.S.A.
August 6–10, 2011 2011 APS-IPPC Joint Meeting Honolulu, HI, U.S.A.
http://scabusa.org/forum10.html
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Include your meeting in IS-MPMI’s printed and online event calendar. Submit online at www.ismpminet.org/meetings/calsubmit.asp.
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IS-MPMI Reporter